The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the local government of Quezon City conducted a joint cleanup operation Thursday at Lagarian Creek as part of the national Bayanihan sa Estero program, an initiative launched by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to reduce flooding.

The operation aimed to remove garbage and silt from the 4-kilometer-long waterway, which serves as the upstream portion of the San Juan River.

Leading the effort were MMDA deputy chairperson Usec. Frisco San Juan Jr., MMDA general manager Usec. Procopio Lipana, MMDA assistant general manager for Operations Asec. David Angelo Vargas, and Quezon City Engineering Department chief Atty. Mark Dale Perral.

Lipana stressed the importance of maintaining clean and unobstructed waterways, particularly in flood-prone areas of Quezon City.

“If Lagarian Creek is not desilted, it will be affected by flooding, which could worsen the situation in adjacent low-lying areas,” Lipana said.

Perral noted that desilting, the process of removing silt, debris and other obstructions, is critical to the city’s drainage system. Improving the creek’s capacity can significantly reduce flood risks.